McCarver says 2013 will be his last season on FOX

By Paul Casella / MLB.com

The upcoming season will be the last for baseball analyst Tim McCarver, who announced on Wednesday he will step away from the FOX broadcasting booth following this season.

McCarver, 71, said on a conference call Wednesday that he does not plan to negotiate a new contract with the network when his current one expires at the end of this summer. The two-time All-Star catcher has provided commentary on national television for a record 23 World Series and has covered 28 consecutive Major League Baseball postseasons.

"Although I am neither tired of broadcasting baseball nor have I in any way lost my interest in baseball, with which I have been associated as a player and broadcaster for 55 years, it's time to cut back," McCarver said.

Thank you Tim.After this, his 18th year as lead analyst for the MLB on FOX, Tim McCarver will exit the broadcast booth.

"Tim McCarver has chronicled the national pastime on our biggest stages, including a record 23 World Series and 20 All-Star Games, for a generation of baseball fans," Commissioner Bud Selig said. "As an analyst, he has always thought like a manager in the dugout, and in the process he helped redefine what sports fans expected from the broadcast booth.

"Tim has led a remarkable baseball life since signing with the Cardinals in 1959, and all of us at Major League Baseball look forward to joining our partners at FOX Sports in honoring his Hall of Fame career throughout the 2013 season. On behalf of our 30 clubs, I thank Tim for his important contributions to our game over the past seven decades."

McCarver hit .271 with 97 homers and 645 RBIs while winning two World Series titles in a 21-year Major League career with the Cardinals, Phillies, Expos and Red Sox from 1959-80.

Paul Casella is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @paul_casella. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.